Filler-tobacco and method of preparing the same



(No Model.)

D. J. BOEHM. FILLER TOBAGGO AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME. No. 437,328.

Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

DAVID J. BOEHM, on NEW YORK, N. Y., Assieuon TO THE NORTH AMERICAN 'UNIT D STATES l PATE T ()Frrcn,

CIGAR MACHINERY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

FILLER-TOBACCO AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,328, dated September 30, 1890.

' Application filed September 21, 1889 Serial No. 324,640. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID J. BOEHM, a citizen of thev United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filler-Tobacco and the Method of Preparing the Same, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

This invention relates to the manufacture of cigars and similar articles; and it consists of an improved method of cutting or preparing filler-tobacco and the improved product resulting therefrom.

In the manufacture of long-filler cigars by hand the bunch is built up in the hand by first taking the longest pieces of filler that are to constitute the longitudinal center of the cigar and then arranging around the same different lengths of tobacco, so as to form at the desired place the swell or belly of the bunch, and thus secure the desired longitudinal contour. The operator determines by feeling with the hand. whether the belly of the bunch is properly made, and if he finds that the ends of the small pieces of filler have left crevices or small spaces he unwraps the binder and readjusts the short pieces or adds more filler to correct the defect, after which the bunch is again rolled. On the other hand, in the manufacture of long-filler cigars by machinery the filler is properly shaped by means of a feed-box, which is made to correspond in shape with the form of bunch desired and in which the filler has to be carefully arranged; or other means requiring the careful arrangement of the fillerare employed.

It is the object of this invention to prepare, out, or shape the filler-tobacco so that it can be rolled up into bunches of the desired contour without the use of any such similarlyshaped feed-box and without any such careful arrangement of short pieces and manipulation and to entirely dispense with the use of these short filling-pieces. With these ends in view I produce blanks or masses of tobacco having a series of incisions upon their edges, either by cutting them straight and then removing a portion of the material at the edges or by directly cutting them with serrated or undulating edges. When the blanks ormasses thus formed are rolled up into bunches, the bunches have their greatest diameter at the places where no material has been removed and taper toward the ends,'the diameter at any given place depending upon the amount of material that has been removed. The projections at the edges of the blanks or masses formed between the incisions correspond quite closely to the shape of the ends of the cigars to be produced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a mass or pile of tobacco, showing a portion or mass cut therefrom and indicating in dotted lines the method' of cutting succeeding portions or masses. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion or mass cut with serrated or angular edges. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion or mass out with undulat ing or rounded edges, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a cigar-bunch made from a mass of my prepared filler-tobacco.

In carrying my invention into practice I place the pieces of tobacco one upon another or pile them in a mass, preferably arranging them in substantially parallel positions, and then cut them in the manner indicated-- in Fig. 1, in which v a represents a mass of filler-tobacco and b a portion cut therefrom. The tobacco is out so as to leave the cut portion. b of the properwidth and so as to leave the proper amount of filler at each point of the mass. The operations of cutting the tobacco to the proper width and of producing the incisions in the edges may be separately performed, if de sired; but I prefer to accomplish both results by a single cutting. This preferred method of cutting permits the cut portions to be separated without waste of tobacco, the projec tions at of one portion forming the incisions e of the adjoining portion, and vice versa. The width of the cut portions 12 corresponds to the length of the cigar, cigarette, or cheroot to be made therefrom, and the projections correspond quite closely to' the shape of the ends of such cigar, cigarette, or cheroot. Ordinarily the tuck end of a cigar is of greater diameter than the head, or the head is made more gradually tapering than the tuck, and the largest portion or belly is nearer the tuck than the head. I therefore generally remove more material from the side of the cut portion which forms the head than from the tuck side and make the deepest incisions on the head side of the cut portion, as shown in the drawings. If a cigar which tapers only at one end is to be made, the incisions are produced on only one edge of the mass of filler.

When a portion of the mass having its two sets of projections or two edges difierently shaped is to be cut, I make the first cut to correspond with one edge, the second cut with the other edge, the third cut with the first edge, the fourth cut with the second edge, and so on, producing cuts corresponding to each edge alternately, as shown in Fig. 1.

The cut shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings forms a-broken or zigzag line. In some cases I prefer to produce an undulating line of cut, as shown in Fig. 3. In all cases the character of the cut depends upon the shape of the cigar, cigarette, or cheroot to be produced, and the large number of different forms of such articles that are commercially used will necessitate many slight modifications in the shape of the prepared filler.

To make a bunch with my improved filler it is only necessary to take sufficient filler to make the desired diameter of the bunch and then roll it into cylindrical shape. The length of the bunch thus produced will correspond to the width of the mass of prepared filler, and the bunch will have its greatest diameter where no tobacco has been removed and will taper or grow smaller in diameter toward the ends, the diameter at any point in its length depending upon the amount of material removed or the width of the projections at such position. Thus a bunch is produced having the desired shape, which can be provided with a binder in the usual manner.

The operation of rolling, it is evident, can be readily performed by a rolling-apron, and therefore filler tobacco prepared according to this invention is especially adapted for use in bunchingmachines, or whenever the cigar or similar article is to be made by machinery blanks are cut from large leaves according to my invention, and these blanks are rolled upon themselves to form a bunch, the fillertobacco extends continuously and without break throughout the length of the bunch, and the bunch is entirely free from short pieces. Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of preparing a mass of cigarfiller for rolling into bunches, which consists in cutting out or removing a portion of the tobacco from the ed e or edges of the filler, thusforming a series of projections along the edge or edges of the filler,shaped according to the form of cigar to be produced, substantially as described;

2. The method of preparing cigar-filler for rolling'into bunches, which consistsin first arranging the pieces of filler in substantially parallel positions and then cutting out or removing a portion of the tobacco from the edge" or edges of the filler, thus form'inga series of projections along the edge or edges of the.

filler, shaped according to the form of cigar to be produced, substantially as described.

3. A prepared mass of cigar-filler having on its edge or edges a series of incisions,

forming a series of projections, shaped ae-- cording to the form of cigar to be produced,

substantially as described.

DAVID J. BOEHM.

Witnesses: v

HENRY D. WILLIAMS, SIDNEY MANN. 

